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The medieval fortress of Revel is one of the best survivors in Northern Europe. It provides indication as to what fortress besiegements in the Livonian War period could have looked like and helps to understand why they would fail in most cases. The citizens had successful experience in dealing with major attacks: in 1569 Revel successfully withstood a 13-day besiegement and bombardment from sea by the Danish fleet and fleet of Hanseatic city of Lübeck. The city was surrounded by thick stone walls built in the 14-15th centuries, which had been repaired and rebuilt on a regular basis. Moreover, the city gate was enhanced with gunned dirt ramparts.
Revel's towers
The Russian troops lacked experience in taking by storm strong stone fortresses like Revel. They were skilled at conquering small stone castles (e.g., Narva, Dorpat and Fellin) or relatively large wooden fortresses (e.g., Kazan or Polotsk) that would sooner or later conflagrate from artillery fire. But in this case the artillery damaged the heavy stone walls with difficulty, which prevented mass-scale conflagrations. The besiegers did not have sufficient large size cannonballs at their disposal. A city like Revel would have to be besieged for more than several months before it could run out of food supplies (Russian Smolensk resisted for three years in a similar situation of 1609-1611). The besieged resisted intelligently and sallied out from time to time. The troops of Ivan the Terrible did not have any significant advantage. All this led to two major failures.
On 21 August 1570 the army of "King of Livonia" Magnus, consisting of Danes, mercenaries from Europe and Livonian nobility that sided with him, besieged Revel that was defended by a Swedish garrison commanded by Karl Horn. A Russian troop commanded by Ivan Yakovlev (small landowners) and Vasily Umny-Kolychev (oprichniki (life-guardsmen)) sided with Magnus. Later on, the oprichnik troop of Yury Tokmakov joined them. Neither did they succeeded in starving the city to surrender, nor were one and a half months of flaming cannon ball firing of much help. The oprichniki devastated the area in intimidate the local population, which only increase the local people desire to fight to the last man. The Russians were unable to block the city from the sea, so the Swedish fleet continued to supply it with food and ammunition. A plague epidemic burst out in Revel and spread onto the besiegers. Finally, Magnus raised the siege after thirty weeks and withdrew his forces from the city on 16 March 1571.
The Big Sea Gate (at the end of Pikk jalg (street) leading to the port) is an artefact of the siege of 1570. It was erected in 1448–1460 and rebuilt in 1531. In the 16th century a dirt rampart existed in front of the gate, and Rosenkrantz cannon tower was erected above it in 1518-1529. The cannon fire from several tiers of the tower and from rampart formed a deterrent wall of fire. In 1570 Russian troops attacked the Sea Gate by fire and damaged Rosenkrantz tower, but they failed to overcome these fortifications. In the 17-20th centuries the tower was rebuilt several times and, probably, in the 19th century it was renamed to Fat Margaret (Paks Margareeta).
The Big Sea Gate
Fat Margaret (Paks Margareeta)
In 1577 the besiegement operation was commanded by Fedor Mstislavsky and Ivan Sheremetev, while the defence was commanded by Karl Horn. The siege started on 27 January. A six-week artillery duel demonstrated Revel advantage: it had more cannons and skilled artillery men at its disposal. In the outcome Ivan Sheremetev was killed by a cannon shot. Three attacks of the city walls turned out to be unsuccessful. On 13 March the siege was raised, and its total duration was less than that of Magnus' campaign.
Kiek in de Kök (German — "Peep into the Kitchen", address: Komandandi tee, 2) is an artefact of the siege of Revel in 1577. This 38 m tall, six-tier round tower was built on the site of an earlier one in 1483. One can imagine the fire avalanche from the cannons located on all the tiers. In commemoration of the battles that took place here during the siege of 1577 stone and iron cannon balls were cemented into the tower walls as if they had got stuck there after the fire attack by the Russian artillery.
Kiek in de Kök
The ruins of St. Birgitta Cloister in Pirita district of Tallinn are another very impressive artefact of the siege of 1577. The cloister was destroyed by the troops of Ivan the Terrible and has never been restored. Today its ruins are maintained.
Pirita ruins
In 1570 and 1577 the attackers were met by cannon fire from the 27 towers of Revel fortress. Some of them have survived. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Tower behind Hattorpe (Pikk, 62) was built at the turn of the 15th century. It was named after Revel municipal councillor Hattorpe whose house was situated near the tower in the early 15th century. In 1878 it was integrated into a neo-Gothic building. This solution resulted in an elegant architectural combination reminiscent of the past of Tallinn.
- Stolting (Small Pride) Tower (Pikk, 68) was built in the mid-14th century.
- Assauwe Tower (Müürivahe, 12) was built in the 1370-1380s.
- Bremen (Kampferbeck) Tower (Vene, 26) was built at the turn of the 15th century and named after municipal councillor von Bremen.
- Golden Leg (de Guldene Voet, Kuldjala) Tower (Gümnaasiumi tänav, 1a) was erected in the 14th century in several stages.
- Tallitorn (Stable Tower) on Tompea Hill (14th century) is a so-called cantilevered tower "suspended" within the fortress wall. Such towers were designed for holding back attacks that approached close to the walls. The towers was severely damaged by artillery during the siege of 1577.
The defensive towers on Tompea Hill are also worth mentioning. This is the 45.6 m tall Hermann Tower (Lossi, 1a). Its first part was built in the 1360–1370s, while the extension with machicolation are dated the late 15th century. In 1583-1590 the Swedes erected the State Hall near the tower to symbolized the Swedish victory and control (it has not survived). Pilstickeri Tower (Arrow Sharpener) located in opposite corner of the Tompea wall was built in the last quarter of the 14th century.
Among other monuments associated with the Livonian War besiegements worth mentioning is the Church of the Holy Spirit (Pühavaimu, 2). It was built in the 13-14th centuries. In 1578 Balthasar Russow, the pastor of this church during the Livonian war, published his Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt (Livonian Province Chronicles), which is one of the major historical accounts of the Livonian War.
The last, although rather peculiar, monument, is the Old Thomas weather vane on the spire of Revel Town Hall. It has the shape of the figure of a warrior and was first mentioned in 1530. Later a legend about soldier Thomas who was a hero of the Livonian War and accomplished many a feat during the siege of Revel. In the 20th century many children's books about Thomas, who had transformed into a young hero boy, were published in Estonia. The modern weather vane is a replica of the 16th century original. Old Thomas is one of the symbols of Tallinn.
A. I. Filushkin
Tags: routes, 16 century, Routes of the Livonian War, Kingdom of Sweden